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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to drill
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com